The Panthers find themselves in a tie for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference halfway through the conference season.

Eastern is dead locked with Eastern Kentucky with an 8-4 record, one game behind conference leader Austin Peay, who sits atop the OVC at 9-3.

The Panthers will play Eastern Kentucky in a three-game series on the road on May 8 and 9.

Tennessee-Martin finds themselves in the lower part of the conference standings with a 5-7 record and has played both the Panthers and Eastern Kentucky in three game series this year.

“So far Eastern Kentucky is one of the best teams we’ve seen all year,” said assistant coach Jason Sullivan. “They can hit it and pitch it.”

“Eastern Kentucky has not had a lull all year long,” head coach Bubba Cates said. “You would figure in a three-month period a team would have a little setback here and there.

“Neither team is one you want to face right now,” Cates said.

Tennessee-Martin came into Charleston as the Panthers first conference test and took two of three back in late March.

“It seemed like they were still feeling things out when we played them,” Cates said. “But I walked out of there saying the same thing I walked in there saying, which was that Eastern is going to be one of the teams to beat.”

Since their series against the Skyhawks, the Panthers have only lost two conference games, including one this past weekend against Samford.

Although Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay are the teams competing with the Panthers right now, Panther head coach Jimmy Schmitz said the only team on his mind is Illinois-Chicago.

The Colonels of Eastern Kentucky feature nine players batting over .360 and five batting at least .400. They also have seven players that average around one run batted in a game.

“No inning was ever easy against those guys,” Cates said. “Even if you have to face the bottom of the order, there is no easy outs on that team.”

Eastern Kentucky also has two pitchers, Scott Goetz and Chris Grider, who both average close to 10 strikeouts a game.

The Colonels are in a tie for second place with Eastern, which means there is one team in the OVC with a better record than both of them. Austin Peay is 9-3 in the OVC but has a tough three-game series at home against Tennessee Martin this weekend.

“There is more balance in the OVC than in any other conference in the country,” Cates said. “We have to play hard every weekend. It’s not unusual for anyone to beat anyone. Austin Peay lost to Tennessee Tech in a doubleheader and then we go and drop three to Morehead. There’s just so much balance in our league.”

Austin Peay has two pitchers with at least six wins and earned run averages of 3.10. A third Governor pitcher has an ERA under four with three wins in 11 appearances.

“I just feel fortunate to play them at this stage in the season as opposed to earlier on when we were still coming together,” Schmitz said.

Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky have certain strong points of their games that can be picked out simply by looking at a stat sheet. However, the Panthers have the intangibles the stat sheet doesn’t pick up.

“In the Jacksonville State series, we needed pitching and we got it,” Schmitz said. “This past weekend we needed hitting and got it. Everyone knows they have to do their part to get the job done. If they do their part as a collective unit, it takes the pressure off of the individuals.”

Schmitz said the key to winning the OVC is taking two of three every weekend without putting too much emphasis on a particular series.

“Our guys are pretty good about not overlooking game,” Schmitz said.

Schmitz attributes that attitude to the leadership of his older players like Chris Uhle, Kyle Haines and Marcus Jackson.

“It’s amazing how these guys have come together,” Schmitz said. “The seniors got these guys playing the way they need to take two of three every weekend.”

Schmitz said if the Panthers can get a couple more pitchers to do well the Panthers will have a real chance in the OVC tournament this year.